Tiffin Motorhomes Roughing it Smoothly by North Trail RV Center

E North Trail RV’s “New Facility” is scheduled to open in Spring 2013. The company is expanding on 50 additional acres which lie between their present collision center to the south and the sales and service center to the north at exit 141 on I-75. The service center will have 44 bays under roof with an additional 96 outside bays. A new parts and accessories store will more than triple the company’s present retail store. A service camping area will offer full hookups for repairs requiring more than one day. North Trail RV’s expansion is designed to make the company a destination dealer in the peninsula state.

North Trail RV in Fort Myers A DIFFERENT WAY OF DOING BUSINESS This story is really about a family. More than that, it is about a family who treats customers as if they were guests visiting in their home. As a matter of fact, the word “customer” is banned from their business vocabulary. Al Erp has owned several businesses. Guest service seems to be wired into his psyche and he knows how to ensure you are going to buy the right motorhome for your lifestyle. “We spend a lot of time listening to how our guests plan to use their motorhomes,” Al began. “Then, we begin to match one or more of our coaches to our guest’s plans. It may take a while. That’s okay. Our guest may decide to take a day or two to evaluate what he has seen here. “After our guest has spent more time with the coach, driven it, made notes, asked more questions and received the answers, he may decide to give us an order,” Al continued. “Then we will go over all of the accessories available on the chosen coach, make the selections, agree on the price, and have them installed. Keep in mind, our guest has not paid for the unit until everything has been completed to his satisfaction.

Text and photography by Fred Thompson 32 Roughing It Smoothly

“Two delivery specialists will take over from North Trail’s sales associate and spend several hours with our guest,” he said. “After completing the orientation and training on how to use everything correctly, they then sign the order and purchase the coach.” North Trail RV is almost as far south into Florida as you can get on I-75. The company uses well-placed billboards all along the interstate to encourage RVers to “keep on driving ’till you get to Fort Myers.” If they do, they will be rewarded with the largest selection of new Tiffin motorhomes offered on one site by any dealer in the Tiffin network. North Trail keeps 40 to 50 new Tiffin coaches in stock with a nice distribution between five of the six Tiffin brands. Al Erp began his career as an entrepreneur in 1973 when he opened an aluminum fabrication company in Punta Gorda and expanded operations later with another facility in Ocala. In 1978, his wife, Evelyn, was diagnosed with breast cancer. She fought the disease valiantly as Al began to spend more time away from the business to be with her and their two children, Alan and Jenny. In 1982 he bought a new Bluebird motorcoach to tour the west and in ’83 he sold the fabrication business. The Erps loved Montana and decided to settle there. Al enjoyed

hunting and fishing trips to the high country near Thompson Falls, about 80 miles north of Missoula. He sold the Bluebird and bought a home on Flathead Lake. True entrepreneurs never really free themselves from the great satisfaction they receive from building and operating a business. The children were teenagers in high school, Evelyn seemed to be recovering, and Al found a telecommunications business that was for sale. He bought it and began to learn the ropes of a totally different business from the one he sold in Florida. Sadly, Evelyn lost her battle with cancer in 1985 and Al decided in 1986 to move his family back to Florida. The family had always enjoyed camping in tents, trailers, and small motorhomes when the children were young. Al wanted something to keep himself busy and found a small RV dealership for sale on U.S. 41 in Fort Myers. Alan had just finished high school and decided to remain in Montana. After a year at Montana State College, he worked as a lumberjack for two years. In February 1989, he decided to join his dad at North Trail RV. Realizing the importance of locating the company at a major intersection on I-75, Al found a strip of land at Exit 141 in 1990. “The footprint of the lot we bought looked like a banana, but it was a new beginning. We had been in business for five years and we were just not selling many RVs,” he related. “It took 11 acquisitions to put together 9.3 acres. Later on, we were able to expand it to 13 acres.” The business began to grow. “It was the location,” he emphasized. That year the company became a dealer for four motorhome manufacturers. North Trail RV had 12 employees— three in service and nine in sales and the business office. “In 1994 we took on Newmar, and they had slide-outs. We thought

we were really something,” he laughed. In 1996, Al sold the telecommunications business. “It was time to focus totally on the RV company,” he concluded. America’s wars and international politics frequently have an effect on the recreational vehicle industry. “It took a couple of years after the Gulf War for us to get rolling again,” Al noted. “By the mid-nineties, our sales in towable and motorhome units were about equal.” The Erp family was growing. Alan married Shawnica and they had two boys, Kyle and Bryan. It would be another 10 years before Bailey was born. Jenny married and by the end of the nineties had Evalena and Kaylee. Today, she works in marketing at North Trail RV. Alan’s sons are also employed in the family business. Kyle, 22, is a service advisor, and Bryan, 20, handles insurance claims for their guests. Key employees began to find their niches in the business. There are many interesting, personal career stories at North Trail RV. Looking for new opportunities in 1978, Steve Graham left Massachusetts and relocated to Florida where he worked at various positions in the auto industry over the next 18 years. The skills he acquired positioned him to become the service manager at North Trail RV in October 1999. He is now the general manager, and assists Alan with the daily operations of the dealerships. Nelda Iacono joined the company in 1995. As controller, she manages the business end of North Trail RV including general accounting, risk management, and insurance. With two assistants and one part-timer, she supervises the financial activities for a company with 170 employees and annual sales of $107 million. “I either do or oversee all of the paperwork to receive each new motorhome arriving from a manufacturer,” she volunteered. “Let me tell you, Tiffin’s paperwork is always perfect.” Nelda selected and supervised the installation of IDS software with its modules for sales, service, and general accounting. She has held several leadership positions with the Florida RV Trade Association, and is now serving as president of Region 1. On a 17-acre property just one exit south of the North Trail sales and service facility, the Erps built their collision and

Dealer Profile 33

Al Erp’s children and grandchildren are actively involved in North Trail RV. From left, Brian and Kyle (Alan’s sons) are collision consultant and service consultant, respectively. Alan oversees general operations and serves as vice president. Al, president, built the company from its inception and continues to provide inspiration and advice to both his family and employees. Jennifer found her niche in the company as a marketing consultant.  North Trail RV, with 40 to 50 units in stock at any given time, carries the largest inventory of new Tiffin motorhomes in the Tiffin network of dealers.

chassis center. Operating under a twoacre pavilion that also covers their offices and service planning, the center is authorized by Freightliner and Spartan to do chassis work, including alignments. They are also the preferred repair facility for Progressive, Nationwide, and GMAC, and are authorized by all other insurance companies. The fabrication shop can shape and create exterior compartment doors and roof radiuses for any brand. A 60 foot state-of-the-art downdraft painting booth handles coaches up to 45 feet. In addition to a full-service body shop, the center offers tire replacements, balancing, and alignments. Between them, Greg Reppert, Jonathan Rapp, and Scott Dolloff have over 100 years of experience. Greg is the collision repair director; Jonathan is the body shop manager; and Scott

34 Roughing It Smoothly

Dolloff is the chassis service consultant. Michael Bonne brings rare skills to North Trail RV. His resume includes coppersmith, blacksmith, and tinsmith. Using metal forming equipment and techniques found in shops from 1890 to 1930, he can create almost any part that is needed for a restoration or repair. Since several RV manufacturers closed in the last four years, the parts unique to their coaches are no longer available for purchase. And, if you would like a personally designed weathervane to put on a pole outside your coach, Michael can make it. Al and Alan Erp are in total agreement on the company’s primary reason for existence. “We are a service-based organization,” Al began. “That’s where our dedication lies. An RV dealership’s success is based on service.”

Alan nodded vigorously in agreement. “When owners experience our service attitudes and policies — our employees commitment to take care of them, we will never lose them as our guests.” he emphasized. (There’s that word again.) “We have a culture that makes our guests feel comfortable,” Alan continued. “We do not treat people like they are a ‘customer being processed’ through a sales or service system. We genuinely want them to feel like they are guests in our home. An associate here at North Trail will never attempt to ‘process’ a person quickly in order to get to the next ‘customer,’ with an attitude of maximizing our profit. Good service takes time.” North Trail’s service manager, Derek Marks, has been with the company for 12 years. He began as a delivery coordinator, teaching owners how to use everything in their coaches. When the delivery was completed, he gave the new owner his cell phone number. Derek was promoted to service consultant, and then three years ago became service manager. He still gives his cell phone number to new owners! “We have 26 technicians with various levels of certification in different areas,” he explained. The company takes advantage of the training offered by component manufacturers who hold seminars at the dealership. Motorhome manufacturers, including Tiffin, conduct training on-site and at their plants. Satellite training courses are offered by RVIA through which certifications can be earned. Everyone at North Trail RV is excited about the “New Facility” which will be opening in the spring of 2013. “We are expanding on 50 additional acres with a

new state-of-the-art service facility,” Derek said. “We will have 44 RV service bays under roof with an additional 96 outside! We expect to employ more certified technicians from the surrounding area,” he assured. “We schedule ‘waiters’ whose repairs are usually completed in one day,” Derek said. “But our new facility will have overnight camping available so that our guests can stay in their coaches while repairs are underway. Of course, new owners will also camp with us while they are getting accustomed to using all of the features in their coaches. Now we send them to a nearby campground.” When parts must be ordered for a repair, the service department uses a software feature called Bridge Speak. “When the part arrives, Bridge Speak calls the owner and notifies them that the part has arrived to complete the repair,” Derek said. “After the repair is made, a quality control person inspects the work. QC must sign off on it before the service advisor calls the owner to pick up the coach.” Rob Sanders, who has been with North Trail RV for 10 years, serves as the supervisor of the service consultants. Rob and service consultants Kyle Erp, Tim Roncaglione, and Jose Rodriguez are the first to greet guests coming in for service. Mike Provost has been the parts manager at North Trail RV for almost a decade, after logging 18 years with Camping World. He also manages the accessories store. “Inventory management is quite a challenge. The inventory can move off our shelves very quickly for order fulfillment to the service department. For the sake of capital management, we try not to overstock,” Mike explained. “But at the same time, you don’t want to run out of critical parts.” Including the Fort Lauderdale location, the company maintains over a million dollar parts inventory. Mike uses IDS software to track inventory and reorder. “We can get almost anything overnight if it is not in stock,” he noted. “Our owners empower us to take care of our guests and that’s what we do.” North Trail RV Center became a Tiffin dealer in May 2009. The sales department reports to Alan Erp and he makes it his primary responsibility to assess what his guests wish to see in brands, floorplans, and options. “When evaluating the motorhomes of the companies we represent, I experience a warm, inviting feeling every time I enter a Tiffin motorhome,” Alan said. “The fine interiors with carefully selected fabrics, beautiful cabinetry, and excellent lighting create an outstanding motorhome. Tiffin continues to come out with new features that make a great coach even better.” Alan places all of the orders for Tiffin coaches, and specifies the options and features he is certain will please his guests. “Out of the five Tiffin brands, the Phaeton represents about 40 Above right: Sales and Business Management Team (from left) Steve Kidan, business manager; Joe Jackson, sales manager; Joe Biela, general sales manager; Trent Turner, sales manager; Michael Engh, business manager.  Service Consultant Team (from left) Kyle Erp, service consultant; Rob Sanders, senior service consultant; Tim Roncaglione, service consultant; Jose Rodriguez, service consultant.  Management Team (from left) Steve Graham, general manager; Alan Erp, vice president.

Dealer Profile 35

Service Team (left to right) Scott Graham, shop foreman; Dee Stanger, service assistant; Carolyn Irish, warranty assistant; Monica Rutledge, service assistant; Jennifer Rodriguez, warranty assistant; Tami Meredith, warranty coordinator; Derek Marks, service manager; Kathy Dowdel, service dispatcher; Chis Estrada, delivery manager.

Nelda Iacono is in her 17th year with North Trail RV. As controller, she oversees general accounting, risk management, and insurance.  Mike Provost is completing a decade of service as the parts director and accessories store manager, following 18 years of service at Camping World. He enjoys the opportunity to help his guests find just the right item they are looking for.

36 Roughing It Smoothly

percent of our orders. So far this year we are selling twice as many Allegro Buses as we sold last year,” he said. “We have had a good run on the Breeze, and all the Allegros are doing great as well. “A lot of factors that we constantly evaluate determine what I order today,” Alan noted. “The Breeze is definitely the choice when owners want to downsize. We notice that people are retiring earlier. Eight years ago we would not have had a bunkhouse coach on this lot. But older RVers like the RED and Phaeton bunkhouses for their grandchildren, and younger families go for the Allegro bunkhouse for their kids. Since we are in the southern part of Florida, I try to inventory a lot of units and the variety that people seem to want.” Alan wears several hats. Working hands-on with the marketing and advertising director, Tim Lowry, is one he enjoys. “We have really made our website a primary tool in reaching the public,” he said. “Unlike newspapers, television, and billboards, it is not limited geographically. We have a full-time webmaster to manage the website,” he explained. “It is not unusual for him to take 50 shots or more of a motorhome.” Jenny creates videos for the website, and assists Tim in marketing. Crediting the website, Al noted that North Trail has developed a nationwide market. “The majority drive, but we are

seeing more people fly to Fort Myers to do business here,” he said. In addition, Alan makes effective use of billboards (“Keep ’em driving south.”); TV advertising (Tampa and areas south); trade shows (several a year); and direct mail (very good for selective audiences). “Word of mouth continues to be our best advertising,” he said. “Referrals mean more to us than anything because it represents the effort of a satisfied owner sending us business,” Alan noted with pride. “Sometimes we call it campfire marketing.” From 2004 to 2006, the Erps focused on motorhomes over towables. “By the time the recession hit, 89 percent of the units sold at North Trail were motorhomes. Like most dealers, we stubbed our toe but we didn’t break a leg. The people who were shopping still came to see us,” Al said. “Sales went down by 50 percent,” Alan said. “By the third quarter of 2007, we began to feel it. Our biggest losses were caused by the bankruptcies of Holiday Rambler, Monaco, Weekend Warrior, and Travel Supreme. We had to sell over 100 coaches at less than what we paid for them. We are back today to where we were pre-recession. Tiffin replaced Holiday Rambler, Monaco, and Travel Supreme, helping us get through the recession, and is a driving force in our continued success. Tiffin has the right price points for dealers and own-

ers. You don’t need 20 floorplans in one brand; that just runs up the overhead. On the Allegro Bus, for example, you have five floorplans and they are all good ones. Plus you’ve got good options.” In June 2009 the Erps opened a new store on Interstate 95 in Fort Lauderdale. “We really opened there initially to move our older units,” Alan said. “But when we became a Tiffin dealer, we decided to make the Fort Lauderdale store a full sales– service Tiffin dealership. Don Sisler opened the store for us, and then Ryan Lewis followed a year later to launch the service department. We also have a very nice accessories store. One thing we have noticed: our pre-owned Tiffins go very fast. In our experience, pre-owned Tiffin coaches hold their value better than any other brand.” Joe Biela joined North Trail RV eight years ago as general sales manager, bringing over 30 years of sales experience to the position. Sales managers Joe Jackson and Trent Turner in Fort Myers, and Don Sisler and Steve Rowin in Fort Lauderdale work with a team of 29 sales professionals: 19 in Fort Myers and 10 in the Fort Lauderdale store. “Sales training and product knowledge are essential for our associates to be able

to serve our guests effectively,” Joe said. “We have a sales meeting every morning to conduct a review of the incoming and outgoing units. We are a no-pressure sales group. We send our associates to Tiffin Motorhomes in Red Bay for sales training, and Tiffin sends their representatives here. It is an excellent relationship. Our delivery coordinators in service also go to TMH for sales training. Each associate goes ‘on stage’ frequently to present a coach to his fellow associates, followed with a critique by his peers. It keeps everyone on their toes.” The sales mantra for 2012 is “12 in 12” which means 1,200 units sold (new and used) in 2012. Joe is very plain spoken about three reasons for North Trail RV’s success story. The owners: This is a hands-on, familyoperated business. They really care about their owners. It’s not just hype. “Honored guest” is a habit. Everyone believes in it. Every employee is treated with respect. Financial stability. The company is financially stable with its bank and with its lenders. North Trail has generated strong buying power with its manufacturers. Even during the recession, there was no doubt about our survival. As other dealer-

ships were failing, we continued to go forward. Perhaps this is the key point a buyer should look for in a dealership. Sales and service work together to take care of our guests. Communication between the two departments is excellent. Every new owner leaves with several cell phone numbers, including those of the delivery coordinators who trained them. We realize the complexity of a motorhome and will be there 24/7 for our owners. “When I was in service,” Steve Graham recalled, “I talked new owners through problems late into the night. Most of the time it was just a lack of understanding about operating the equipment. We want our owners’ experiences with RVing to be fulfilling. If we can’t take care of the issue over the phone, we will find the nearest dealer or certified service center, and schedule an appointment for them.” “We believe in the lifestyle and the industry,” Al reassures. “And we will spend whatever it takes to be sure our guests have a good RVing experience.” “Al is the vision of this company,” Steve says. “Alan is the driver, the nuts and bolts, the energy guy. They are the poster guys for family-owned businesses.”

A Tiffin Motorhome made with quality components means fewer repairs and more time for your favorite pastime. A Tiffin Motorhome made with quality components means fewer repairs and more time for your favorite pastime.

It’s DENSO, relax. It’s DENSO, relax.

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